A devastating railway accident in Mirzapur district on Wednesday morning claimed the lives of six women, who were struck by a speeding express train while attempting to cross the tracks at Chunar Railway Station.

The incident occurred around 9:30 am, when the Chopan–Prayagraj passenger train halted at platform number four. Instead of using the foot overbridge, several passengers chose to disembark on the opposite side of the platform. As they crossed the tracks, they were hit by the fast-approaching Netaji Express (12311) also known as the Kalka–Howrah Express coming from the other direction.

Railway authorities confirmed that the victims were all residents of Mirzapur who had travelled from Chopan to Varanasi to take a holy dip in the Ganga on the occasion of Kartik Purnima Snan.

Amit Singh, Public Relations Officer of the North Central Railway (Prayagraj Division), said, “The incident took place at about 9:30 am when the passengers got off the Chopan Express on the track and were hit by the approaching Netaji Express train from Howrah to Kalkaji.”

Six Women Identified Among Victims

According to Additional Director General (Railways) Prakash D, the identities of all six deceased women have been confirmed. The victims were named as Savita (28), Sadhna (16), Shiv Kumari (12), Anju Devi (20), Sushila Devi (60), and Kalawati (50).

Panic spread among other travellers as the accident unfolded. Local police and railway personnel quickly arrived at the site to launch rescue and relief operations, while senior officials oversaw the recovery and ensured the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and instructed officials to act immediately. He directed the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to intensify relief work and provide timely medical assistance to the injured.

“He also instructed the SDRF and NDRF teams to arrive at the location promptly and intensify the relief efforts on a war footing,” an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said. The Chief Minister further announced ex-gratia compensation of Rs 2 lakh each for the next of kin of the victims and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.

Union Minister and local MP Anupriya Patel also mourned the loss of lives, writing on X, “Deeply pained by the heart-wrenching incident that occurred today at Chunar Railway Station in Mirzapur parliamentary constituency. District officials have been directed to immediately reach the spot, expedite relief operations, and ensure proper treatment for the injured.”

“In this hour of grief, my heartfelt condolences are with the bereaved families, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. May the Almighty grant peace to the departed souls,” she added.

A statement from the railways emphasised that despite a functioning foot overbridge, the passengers crossed the tracks from the wrong side, leading to the fatal accident. Officials urged commuters to follow safety guidelines strictly to prevent similar tragedies.

This incident comes just a day after another railway mishap in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, where 11 people died when a passenger train collided with a goods train highlighting ongoing safety challenges across India’s railway network.